UPDATE: This once beautiful Crossfire to be auctioned 8/30/2024:
https://www.iaai.com/VehicleDetail/40007815~US. The new pictures they took after so much time on the lot waiting for insurance to get sorted are SAD! (Dusty and dirty). Anyone interested, I have the repair estimate from the insurance company if you want to learn more about the damage. I'd love for someone with knowledge to buy her and fix her up, though she may be destined for parts. :-(
Original Post:
I saw a similar post from someone who smashed up their SRT in the UK, and I'm having a devil of a time deciding whether to repair my 2005 Crossfire Roadster or walk away and buy another. I'm hoping the wise people here can help me! I was hit by an uninsured driver in late May 2024 and it took over a month to get my insurance company to determine the value (original offer was too low so we provided our own comps and receipts and they boosted it by $3,000). The car has 57,865 miles, new top put on in 2019 after window came out, right and left main lift hydraulics rebuilt/replaced in 2021, sticky key fix applied in 2023, all regular maintenance completed and she was clean and beautiful.
The insurance company has deemed the car to be totaled, so I can either walk away and use my payout to buy another
OR I can buy the car as salvage and get her repaired and get a rebuilt title. Our insurance company said they would still insure her (even comprehensive) and they would not charge a higher rate, so that is good. Several collision centers refused to work on a car that had been declared a total loss / refused to work on a car when they would have to install used parts / refused to work on a car that old, etc. But I did find a shop that will do it and they currently estimate 4-6 weeks (so much for the rest of my summer). They said they would try to stay within the $7,000 repair estimate the insurance company provided, but another shop estimated it would cost at least $9,000. Insurance would give me $8,878 to use for the repair after I buy the car from the salvage lot for $2,260). So I might be okay to cover the repair if I can stand the wait and deal with the overall loss in value since the accident will be forever on the record.
If I walk away, insurance will give me $11,155 to buy another car. Mostly Limited Crossfires out there and I actually prefer the Base model, but I could theoretically be in another car by this weekend. I'm just nervous because very few car lots will verify with assurance whether the Crossfire top has been replaced on cars they received as trade-ins, etc. One didn't reply, one said a customer who came in for a test drive said they thought it was a new top, another stated it was a new top but I don't think they have receipts or anything. I hate to spend all my $11,000 only to have to re-do the top all over again out of my pocket. Is there a way to tell an original top from a replacement? I read that you can see if the repair has been done by entering the VIN on the NHTSA website but I cannot see where. I will try to search the Forum but would appreciate feedback about my big choice. Thank you in advance!
Prior Update: Thank you all for your responses. It really saddens me, but I guess I am going to walk away from my beloved Crossfire. :-(
Other notes in response to your comments: I don't think I am equipped to buy the wrecked car because I have nowhere to store it and not enough car knowledge to be pulling parts. As far as I know, once I inform the insurance company to go ahead, the car will be auctioned from the IAA lot that is in Ashland, VA (near Richmond, VA). Once I know the auction date, I will post it here, in case anyone is interested in the car. Thank you again for all your feedback!
Photo of damage
Smashed left front
View from behind